Kinsman Redeemer — A Story of God’s Redemption

Text: Ruth 4:1-22

Theme: Trust the Lord; He has bigger plans for the investment of your life than you do.

Date: 09/04/2022 File Name: Ruth_04 Code: OT08-04

There was a time when “redemption” was a theme more readily understood in our culture.

• When I was a Cub Scout, our pack regularly went around the neighborhood collecting soda bottles. In a day when all soda came in bottles and all soda bottles were identical you could “redeem” them for 3¢ a bottle — that was 18¢ for a six-pack! And if we were really fortunate, someone might give us an entire case of empty beer bottles — 48 bottles. That was a $1.44! (Just more than $12 today).

• There were other things in our culture that could be “redeemed” — remember S&H Green Stamps? Green Stamps was a line of trading stamps popular in the United States from 1896 until the late 1980s. Customers received stamps at the checkout counter of supermarkets, department stores, and gasoline stations among other retailers. You pasted them into booklets that, once they were full, could then be redeemed for products from the S&H Green Stamp catalog. Most products were from 2-5 books, but you could also redeem a 17" Admiral Color TV ... for 150 books! I remember licking a lot of Green Stamps when I was a kid.

• How many of you still clip coupons out of the newspaper inserts? You bring your coupons to the store and “redeem” a certain product at a discount.

As we arrive at the final chapter of the Book of Ruth, we will witness her ultimate redemption — and Naomi’s — as Boaz works to bring her under his wings. Boaz will choose to become their Kinsman-Redeemer and in doing so save their lives.

I. THE LITIGATION

Ruth 4:1-6

1. Boaz is a Kinsman Redeemer

a. I’ve used the term repeatedly throughout this short series but what does it mean?

2. in Jewish society, a Kinsman Redeemer was a relative who protected the needy members of their extended family

a. they could do three things according to Jewish Law

1) 1st, they could buy back a relative who had been sold into slavery, (Leviticus 25:47-49)

2) 2nd, they could purchase back land a relative had sold outside the family (Leviticus 25:25)

3) 3rd, they could preserve the family lineage of a deceased husband by marrying his widow, and providing a male heir for the deceased husband (Deut. 25:5-6)

a) this was called a Levirate marriage

b) it is a type of marriage in which the brother of a deceased man (or the nearest male relative if there is no brother) is obliged to marry his brother's widow and produce an male heir

c) Levirate marriage has been practiced by societies with a strong clan structure in which marriage outside the clan is forbidden

ILLUS. It is still practiced in many parts of Africa, and the Kurdish people of Turkey and Kurdistan.

3. in order to accomplish any of these things, a Kinsman Redeemer had to meet three qualifications ...

a. 1st, they must be a blood relative

b. 2nd, they must be able to redeem — i.e. they had to have financial means

c. 3rd, they must be willing to redeem

4. Boaz meets all three criteria — in fact, he is most anxious to redeem Ruth and Naomi

a. but as we ended the story last week we saw that there was the proverbial “fly-in-ointment”

b. there was, unbeknownst to Naomi, a kinsman redeemer who was a closer blood relation to Elimelech than was Boaz

A. THE URGENCY OF BOAZ

“Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. 2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down.” (Ruth 4:1–2, ESV)

1. in chapter 3, Ruth had received a confident promise and an encouraging assurance

a. 1st, Boaz had told her to be patient because her future was secure, and she would be protected and taken care of one way or another

“Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the LORD lives, I will redeem you. ... .”” (Ruth 3:13, ESV)

b. 2nd, Naomi had confirmed the resolve of Boaz telling Ruth that he would not rest until he had secured their future (Ruth 3:18) and that he would do so that very day

2. the fourth chapter of Ruth picks up the story — indeed that very day Boaz resolves to speak with the man who is an even closer kinsman to Ruth and Naomi than he is

a. the city gate of any Jewish community was the place where the community’s elders gathered to adjudicate conflicts, resolve disputes, and witness transactions

1) Boaz is there bright and early

b. Boas has an urgent matter to attend to — he is not thinking about his previous business, but about his potential bride

c. as Bethlehem’s townsfolk are all exiting the city to go gather the grain that has been threshed and winnowed and to bring it back to town Boaz has come to the city gate to put his plan into action

1) he takes the initiative and gathers the cast of characters for the drama that is about to unfold

a) there is himself

b) there are the elders — ten men Boaz trusts to witness the proceedings

c) there is the un-named kinsman who is a closer relative to Naomi and Ruth than he

2) according to vs. 11 there is a larger crowd who have gathered to watch the event — they want to see how this real-life Hallmark romance turns out

a) does boy really get girl?

b) is there a wedding in story for Ruth, and the subsequent community feast that goes with it?

d. the ensuing litigation will tell the story

3. topic #1 is Naomi’s land

“Then he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 4 So I thought I would tell you of it and say, ‘Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you.” And he said, “I will redeem it.”” (Ruth 4:3–4, ESV)

a. Boaz gets right to his first point: his concern was the case of Naomi, and the plot of land that belonged to Elimelech — Naomi’s deceased husband

1) the closer kinsman had first choice — he could purchase the land or he could refuse to do so

2) if he refuses, Boaz immediately stands ready to purchase it

3) his heart must have sunk when the kinsman responds “I will redeem it” vs. 4

a) ahhh ... but Boaz has a plan

4. topic #2 is Ruth’s hand

a. Boaz shares with the other kinsman that if he agrees to part one of the deal — the redemption of Naomi’s land — that he’s also bound to accept part two of the deal — Ruth’s hand in marriage

1) if the kinsman is going to redeem the land, there is also the obligation to redeem Ruth — which means marriage

a) this is a two-for-the-price-of-one offer

b. in vs. 5 Boaz puts as negative a spin on the deal as he can

1) she is a Moabite (the only time in the entire story that he nationality is used in a negative way) ... she’s a dead man’s widow ... the kinsman is obligated to produce children by Ruth until there is a son (what happens if the first three children are girls)? ... and when there is a son the property (that he has just redeemed) will pass on the heir of Mahlon, Ruth’s husband and Elimelech’s son rather than passing on to the un-named kinsman

c. Boaz is not being dishonest, but he is being shrewd

1) the idea of enlarging one’s property holdings is certainly a tantalizing prospect for the un-named kinsman, especially in an agricultural society

2) the prospects of a second wife, however, with all the additional responsibilities and costs, dampen the kinsman’s excitement

a) plus, a second mother-in-law is also part of the deal

3) he quickly does a profit-loss analysis in his head, and concludes that this transaction is not a “deal”, and decides not to go through with it

“Then the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”” (Ruth 4:6, ESV)

a) while gaining Naomi’s land would be to his advantage, gaining Ruth and Naomi would complicate both his life and his bank account

II. THE NEGOTIATION

Ruth 4:7-12

1. Boaz now willingly and enthusiastically embraces the role of kinsman redeemer to Ruth and Naomi

a. the elders and the people of Bethlehem witnessed the transaction and blessed the relationship

2. in vs. 7-8 when the near kinsman abdicates his role as redeemer it is attested to by a strange custom — sandal sharing

“Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel.” (Ruth 4:8, ESV)

a. in our day a legal transaction is solemnized with a signature (often lots of them), and a handshake

b. in the days of the Judges, a legal transaction was solemnized by removing a sandal and giving it to the other party

“So when the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he drew off his sandal.” (Ruth 4:8, ESV)

a) did he get his sandal back? I don’t know!

3. in vs. 9-10 Boaz, now the kinsman redeemer of record declares to all that he will faithfully fulfill the role of a redeemer

a. Elimelech’s and Mahlon’s property now becomes entrusted to Boaz

1) he doesn’t own it outright, but will manage it for Naomi and Ruth

2) when Boaz and Ruth have a son, that son will ultimately inherit it

3) but not only will their first son inherit Elimelech’s and Mahlon’s estates, he will also inherit a name — Mahlon’s, not Boaz’s

b. that sounds really strange to us, but it was Israel’s way of keeping land within the clan, and perpetuating the lineage of all Jewish males

4. in vs. 11-12 the elders and the people testify that they are witnesses — no one can ever doubt the legality of the transaction

a. they also pronounce a blessing on the couple

“and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the LORD will give you by this young woman.”” (Ruth 4:12, ESV)

III. THE GENERATIONS

Ruth 4:13-22

1. as we come to the closing verses of the Book of Ruth, three events stand out

A. THE SUMMARY

1. Ruth 1:1-5 offers us the condensed version of a story that took ten years in the living

a. in that decade there are tremendous hardships, great joys, death, and a return home in defeat

2. Ruth 1:6-4:12 details a two-month period

a. this part of the story is about a developing romance between Ruth and Boaz

3. Ruth 4:13 compresses into one verse, a wedding, the first year of marriage, a conception, and the birth of a baby boy

a. he is the absolute joy of his grandmother!

4. Ruth 4:14-22 fills in the rest of story, and why the life of Ruth and Boaz matter

B. THE SON

“And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.” (Ruth 4:17, ESV)

1. his name means servant of God

2. the author of the story now tells us something that neither Naomi, Boaz, nor Ruth could know — that a mere two generations later Israel’s greatest king would be the result of this union

a. Ruth would be King David’s Great Grandmother

C. THE SAVIOR

“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse,” (Matthew 1:1–5, ESV)

1. you and I know something that the narrator of this story did not know

a. eventually the King of kings would also come from this story

1) but the story of Ruth and Boaz hints at it

“Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel!” (Ruth 4:14, ESV)

2) God has not left His people without a redeemer

3) his name is Jesus, and his name is renowned, not only in Israel, but throughout the whole world

2. in some of Israel’s darkest days, God is providentially at work laying the foundation for light to come into the world

IV. APPLICATION

1. as we come to the end of our series on the book of Ruth, the main question we should ask is, What is the lesson of this book?

a. let me give you two — the second being the most important

A. THE LIFE OF THE GODLY IS NOT A STRAIGHT LINE TO GLORY, BUT THEY DO GET THERE

ILLUS. The life of the godly is not an Interstate through Kansas, but a county road through the Ozarks of Missouri. There are rock slides and precipices and dark mists and bears and slippery curves and hairpin turns that make you go backwards in order to go forwards. But all along this hazardous, twisted road that doesn’t let you see very far ahead there are frequent signs that say, “The best is yet to come.”

1. the book of Ruth is one of those signs for you to read

a. it was written and it has been preached to give you some midsummer encouragement and hope that all the perplexing turns in your life are not dead-end streets

2. in all the setbacks of your life as a believer God is plotting for your joy

a. there are certainly setbacks in this story

b. at one point, after returning to Bethlehem, we hear Naomi saying, “I went away full and the Lord has brought me back empty … The Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.”

c. but hope arrives in Boaz’s romantic interest in Ruth who ultimately becomes Ruth and Naomi’s kinsman-redeemer

d. it is Naomi who recognizes that behind the “accidental” meeting of Ruth and Boaz was the “kindness of God who has not forsaken the living or the dead”

3. if the story of Ruth had just ended in a little Judean village with an old grandmother hugging a new grandson, glory would be too big a word

a. but the author doesn’t leave it there

b. in vs. 17 he says very simply that this child Obed was the father of Jesse and Jesse was the father of David

1) all of a sudden we realize that all along something far greater has been in the offing than we could imagine

2) God was not only plotting for the temporal blessing of a few Jews in Bethlehem

3) He was preparing for the coming of the greatest king that Israel would have — David

4) and the name of David carries with it the hope of the Messiah

4.the book of Ruth wants to teach us that God’s purpose for the life of his people is to connect us to something far greater than ourselves

a. God wants us to know that when we follow him, our lives always mean more than we think they do

1) for the Christian there is always a connection between the ordinary events of life and the stupendous work of God in history

2) as we’ve gone through this book, some of you may have noticed that there is nothing in the book of Ruth that’s miraculous

a) there are no miracles ... there are no dreams ... there are no visions ... there are no angelic visits ... there are no spoken words from heaven

b) and yet God’s sovereign providential is found everywhere in this story

3) the story reminds us that God is at work through the mundane activities of our lives working in 10,000 ways for His glory and our good

b. everything we do in obedience to God, no matter how small, is significant

B. JESUS IS OUR KINSMAN REDEEMER

1. the story of Ruth and Boaz sounds ancient and some of the customs are strange to us

a. but the story speaks to our deepest need ... we need a kinsman redeemer

2. in the Jewish Scriptures, some of the events recorded represent shadows or pictures of truths or events fulfilled in the life of Christ in the New Testament

a. these events or people are referred to as a “type”

1) Ruth certainly a type representing lost sinners in the story

“remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” (Ephesians 2:12, ESV)

a) this describes Ruth, and it describes all outside of Christ

b) this describes you before you came to Christ

c) all men are fallen, sinful creatures, and need a redeemer

2) Boaz certainly is a type representing the redemption of Christ in this story

3. 1st, Boaz alone met all the requirements of the kinsman-redeemer

a. Jesus alone meets all of the requirements of our Kinsman Redeemer

1) the Kinsman-redeemer must be a blood relative to redeem

a) Jesus is a blood relative — Christ became the incarnation that he might be one of us

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14, ESV)

2) the Kinsman-redeemer must be able to redeem

a) Jesus was able

“knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” (1 Peter 1:18–19, ESV)

3) the Kinsman-redeemer must be willing to redeem

a) Jesus is not only able to redeem, he is willing to redeem

“who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:14, ESV)

4. 2nd, Boaz showed favor toward Ruth, redeemed her, and restored her inheritance

a. Jesus showed favor toward us, redeemed us, and restored our lost inheritance (Eph. 2:13–22)

5. 3rd, Boaz, a Jew, took as his wife Ruth — a Gentile

a. Jesus, the Jewish Messiah took to Himself a predominantly Gentile bride called the Church

b. but all who come to him — Jew or Gentile — will be redeemed

There is a redeemer. His name is Jesus, and he will take you under his wings this morning if you will come to him in faith. For those of you who are in Christ this morning, please, please, please remember that, even in the hard times, even in the times of emotional or spiritual famine, God is providentially working in your life for His glory and your good. Believe that.